Rang up the other day to get hairdresser appt for highlights/roots done and...

[rainbowface]

was told that although I have been before, as it was slightly more than 3 months ago I need to come in before the appt for a skin test ie behind ears or whatever and that I have to leave it on for 24hrs! To me this seems a long time to leave something on your skin just to see if I am allergic or not. Has anyone any experience of this and is it normal to leave something on for so long. I think she said it would be a tint or something Im assuming it woulndt be bleach. Sorry to be long winded just not sure about this, have been going there for years and this is completely new.

Seems bizarre if you've had it done before, unless they are using new products??

Toni and guy do it and I have had the skin test - for me it was a tint because there is something in the darker colours that can produce a serious allergic reation. [though I was having hghlights too]

Saying that, with them, you only needed the test once, and then even leaving it longer than 12 weeks between colourings, I was never asked to have another one.

Maybe there has been more subsequent litigation or something and they are having to be more rigorous?

This is Toni and Guy! How long did you have to leave it on for?? Mine are blonde (highlight that is).

I had a test at Toni and Guy. Told to leave it for 24 hours.

It's for your own well-being. Things do sometimes change, by way of intollerances/sensitivities.

I am amazed when I book at a new salon and they don't offer a skin patch.

If I ask about it, they usually have things like children's tattoos which can be applied.

I was once told though that if you have hair dye that doesn't come into contact with the scalp, you don't need to worry about the patch test. No idea if this is true but it does make sense.

Maybe they are doing it for legal reasons, covering their backs or whatever - just thought that 24 hrs seemed a long time to leave it on for thats all! Thanks for the responses though.

Allergic reactions can be nasty and the salon is liable if you die...which can happen in very rare cases.

I suspect that it might be a slight misunderstanding - that you don't leave the patch application ON for 24 hours, but that you wait 24 hours after having it applied to give time for a reaction to occur? I've several places say you must have a skin test donw 24 hours before having the colouring done. Agree that it's odd if you've been before though.

They do this if you've waited longer than six months between hair colourings at my salon. Have to be on the safe side I s'pose... don't blame them.

It's just a blob they out on the back of neck. It won't bother you at all as long as you don't have a reaction! And if you do, you'll be happy you did the test on a small section only....

The toni and guy patch test does need to be left on your 24 hours. The last time I had it done, this is what they did:

Dipped cotton bud in a tint and wiped it behind my ear. Then I stayed whilst it dried, and that was it. They said not to shower it off or anything, and that if I felt any irritation at all, or if there was any redness they would not carry out the highlights. As it happens, mine was done 24 hours before the highlights appt, so when I went back, she just checked behind my ear - all was fine - and that was it.

I would rather have that little inconvenience that get a really bad reaction. Saying that, as highlights do not touch the scalp, I do think it is a bit too precautionary!